GIF Breakdown: Cousins' Final Interception to Grant

[grego]

The ball should have never been thrown look at the play the blitz was coming you throw it away or take the sack.

 

 

i dont know if the balls complete or not if grant doesnt slip (i feel like its probably not picked), but i dont know why you you would say dont throw it. 

 

oh well. feeling like peoples minds are made up.

 

and, again, i dont know one way or another about cousins. just an odd play to base these opinions on.

[TheCoach22]

Cousins has been in 18 games in 4 years, started 13......Damn why isn't he perfect yet??

This isn't 1990. Guys are suppose to be players by the end of their first contract. He has a lot of game experience, including two full preseasons where he got the bulk of the reps in this system.

At this point he looks like he might be right there with Jason Campbell. He is even-Steven, he is not a difference maker. That is okay, it is who he is... We can be competitive with him at the helm and develop everthing else around him if Scot decided that is the best bet... But the excuse about game experience is false hope...

[jucestain]

Grant runs a hook/curl route, which is why he faced inside. He falls/slips only after locating the ball going to the outside and trying to adjust. The fall/slip doesn't impact the pick, IMHO. Now, if he ran the wrong route (I doubt it because he's known as a precise route runner since day 1 of his rookie year), you can call it a miscommunication. Otherwise, I don't think the fall resulted in the pick. 

 

Of 20+ years of watching football, I've never seen a WR lined up so close to the sideline run an out pattern by turning inside first. 

 

This was my exact thought as well. Grant didn't "slip" while running his route. I think he ran the route he was intending to run and only fell after realizing the ball was going outside and shifted directions. I think Cousins expected him to run an out route. So IMO it was ultimately a route miscommunication... Whether or not that's on Kirk or Ryan Grant will be revealed in the coming days (if this thought process is correct).

 

I also don't get why the entire discussion is on Kirk. He played fine. He led an almost impossible drive to get into field goal range. That more than redeemed himself for any mistakes he made in the game IMO. No one seems to be talking about Keenan Robinson's missed tackle that resulted in Devonta Freeman walking into the endzone. I think ILB might actually be a bigger liability than our secondary. The defense really messed up in that final drive. They choke by letting the Falcons score, then get an absolute miracle call that overturns a TD, and then continue to choke again. The most unclutch thing I think I've ever seen.

[Warhead36]

The D sucked that last drive for sure, but I put a lot of blame on Barry for calling such a soft prevent D for the first part of that drive. We basically let Atlanta move at will. Robinson played really poorly though for a guy who's supposed to be a central figure on this team moving forward.

[The Dude]

And Manning just threw to a wide open defender in the endzone a few minutes ago. I guess he sucks too. 

 

To be fair, Manning kind of sucks this year.  The Broncos' defense is carrying that team.  

[NoVaSkins21]

the blitz was coming you throw it away or take the sack. Not a good throw.  I am a Cousins supporter he gives the team the best chance to win but bottom line he played sub par today at best to many overthrows and bad passes. Was he the sole reason the Redskins lost this game no. But, I would like to see him put a good string of games together where he just plays consistently 

 

Exactly.  Not a good throw at all.  Almost looked as if it was telegraphed.  One other thing, people are making a big deal that Grant fell.  If he doesn't, IMO,  Grant gets tackled for a loss or playing DB anyway.  Cousins was having so much success throwing over the middle and towards the other sideline.  He did it on the game tying drive.  Why did this is why it's so frustrating.  

[Warhead36]

Yeah it wasn't a strong feet set, step into the throw into the rhtyhm of the play type of throw. He paniced, was off balanced, and threw a WTF-er. Sure if Grant doesn't fall it might not be a pick, but it was a horrendous pass and it deserved to be punished unfortunately for us.

[kimberlyro420]

I can't help but notice a piss poor rout by Grant, that was a horrible rout, I don't think he knew where he was going.  

[daveakl]

Exactly. Not a good throw at all. Almost looked as if it was telegraphed. One other thing, people are making a big deal that Grant fell. If he doesn't, IMO, Grant gets tackled for a loss or playing DB anyway. Cousins was having so much success throwing over the middle and towards the other sideline. He did it on the game tying drive. Why did this is why it's so frustrating.

Tackled for a loss? The pass was to the sticks.

[reidskinscali]

Grant did run the wrong route....if he runs it correct and doesn't slip....it is a completion....

[skinsfan35yrs.]

Because he sucks.......duh

Kirk sucks? what a lame statement

[KDawg]

Looks to me like they were running hitches to the sticks. Cousins seemed to expect Grant to hitch up and slide out due to the DBs positioning.

I don't think Grant ran the wrong route. I don't think Ciusins threw the wrong route.

I think the timing was off due to pressure and Cousins threw it outside hoping that Grant would have hitched up and slid out by the time the ball got there.

Still, Cousins mechanics were bad on that play in virtually every way.

[Hogs 1991]

I think the mistakes Kirk makes get waaay over blown. It's like some posters on here want to give Kirk's career the death penalty at the first sign of struggle. I think that 2014 Kirk and 2015 Kirk are night and day comparable to each other. I think Kirk is playing with more poise and with more experience in the offense, we might have something special, or we could continue to change Head Coach-QB. I mean that has worked out really well for us the past 2 decade. Instead of conceding to this knee-jerk reaction to change everything at the first sign of trouble, like most of this instant gratification/microwave generation, why don't we allow our, players, coaching, and scheme to evolve. I mean what else do we have to lose ? The constant QB/Coach change hasn't been working.

As far as the play is concerned, I think both Kirk and Ryan Grant is at fault. More Kirk than Grant sad to say. Grant favored the inside instead of the outside, which you could either chop that up to miscommunication on Ryan Grant, Kirk Cousins, or both. Kirk Cousin threw off his back foot due to pressure, which he should have read before the snap and made the proper adjustments to counter, or even after the snap, if you are going to throw off your back foot to avoid pressure, launch the ball deep out of bounds. I think the worst thing that Cousins did on that play that play that may get over looked, is the fact that he stared down his receiver. In each of our losses. Cousins stared down his receiver, causing a key interception in our loss. Against Miami, he stared down Jordan Reed which the Miami CB saw and made a break on the pass for a key INT before the half of that game. Against the Giants, he stared down Garçon, which Prince Amukamora saw and broke for the ball for key INT in that loss, and of course, today against the Falcons, Kirk stared down Ryan Grant, which Alfred saw and made a break for a game sealing pick 6 . Kirk has developed a nasty habit of staring down receivers which I hope/think with enough coaching, playing time, and experience, he breaks.

[AlldaySkins]

Are we really doing this here? My goodness the man took us to a comeback victory last week and led us to an overtime game with one of the best teams in all of football. Most people were not giving us a chance at all in this game and we almost pulled it off. It's not like we have a Brady or Manning back there. There are going to be growing pains.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

That was a long-ass throw.

[ncr2h]

I don't understand what him staring at the receiver had to do with this play.  That's a scapegoat that gets trotted out a lot without really being relevant.  If the ball got picked by a safety or an underneath linebacker, okay it's relevant.  If the CB had been playing 10 yards off the WR at the snap, okay it's relevant.  The CB was at the LOS with the WR.  Sure, he was looking in the backfield at Cousins, but how would this play have gone differently if Cousins had magically looked off the coverage in the face of a 6 man blitz?  If the CB is looking in the backfield, is he going to just half ass his coverage if Cousins is looking at the other side of the field?

 

 

Part of Grant's job is to make the CB so worried about Grant's route that he can't half-ass his coverage, sneaking peeks in the backfield.  If that's Desean Jackson running that route, you bet your ass that CB isn't looking in the backfield - he's shifting his hips in case Desean is running a go or post.

 

That doesn't mean Cousins is off the hook.  The fact that there was pressure on that play was completely within his power to have changed pre-snap.  He missed that pre-snap blitz tell pretty bad.  But the "he stared down the receiver" thing is a poor scapegoat when it was a CB making a play in what appears to be man coverage, rather than an underneath LB getting a jump on the throw or a safety coming over and making the pick.  Grant has to make that CB pay for peeking in the backfield.

[Going Commando]

Looks to me like they were running hitches to the sticks. Cousins seemed to expect Grant to hitch up and slide out due to the DBs positioning.

I don't think Grant ran the wrong route. I don't think Ciusins threw the wrong route.

I think the timing was off due to pressure and Cousins threw it outside hoping that Grant would have hitched up and slid out by the time the ball got there.

Still, Cousins mechanics were bad on that play in virtually every way.

Yeah I agree with you. I think Kirk threw the wrong route. The DB was playing in bail technique with his hips turned towards the field, so he got a really good read on Kirk. An inside break would have been tough with that footwork, driving off that back foot like that. Instead he was able to flip his hips and get into position on the outside throw. He baited Kirk into throwing outside by lining up with inside leverage but it was a feint.

It's a good, if painful, lesson for Kirk. Beware outside throws against CBs playing in bail technique. And more generally, beware throwing the out when you can't step into it and get good accuracy and velocity on it.

[NoVaSkins21]

Tackled for a loss? The pass was to the sticks.

 

Ok maybe not a loss.  However he had so many other options on that play and he chose to go to that side filed where he had not all day and to a WR that had not done anything either.  

[SkinsTillIDie]

Grant runs a hook/curl route, which is why he faced inside. He falls/slips only after locating the ball going to the outside and trying to adjust. The fall/slip doesn't impact the pick, IMHO. Now, if he ran the wrong route (I doubt it because he's known as a precise route runner since day 1 of his rookie year), you can call it a miscommunication. Otherwise, I don't think the fall resulted in the pick. 

 

Of 20+ years of watching football, I've never seen a WR lined up so close to the sideline run an out pattern by turning inside first. 

 

Then you've never watched Art Monk play. Dude patented that

 

[TK]

By the way, if this breaks sub rules let me know.

Stop.

 

You have 49 posts & 5 warning points here. 

 

Go learn the Updated Rules and Guidelines since you obviously never have.

  

[MartinC]

Exactly.  Not a good throw at all.  Almost looked as if it was telegraphed.  One other thing, people are making a big deal that Grant fell.  If he doesn't, IMO,  Grant gets tackled for a loss or playing DB anyway.  Cousins was having so much success throwing over the middle and towards the other sideline.  He did it on the game tying drive.  Why did this is why it's so frustrating.  

 

Tackled for a loss? The throw was to the first down sticks. If Cousins put it on Grant it was a first down at their 40 and we are rolling. 

 

Unless you know the route called and the adjustment within the route for a blitz anyone saying what happened is guessing. My GUESS is Kirk expected Grant to break his route towards the sideline and Grant ran a hook. He slipped when he saw the ball outside him and was trying to adjust. No idea if Grant should have broken outside or not.

 

It was not a good throw though even if Grant runs the route Cousins expected. His mechanics were poor - as they tend to be too often even when he does not have pressure IMO.

 

He was bit off on a number of throws yesterday, he was behind Gracon on the first pick and that one was high. If your going to miss be in front and low not high and behind - bad things happen if you throw behind or high. Have to give him credit though for outting us in the position to be in overtime - ran a great last drive to put us in position for the FG. Thats two come from behind last drives in regulation in back to back weeks - something to feel positive about in that.

[Newera]

Poor execution all around.   Bad route.  Fell down.   Thrown off back foot.  Did not pick up blitz.  Risky anyway you look at it. They pick up blitz he had Pierre open on the right much like Eagole game that got us to three yard line.    Poor excution everywhere.     

 

That's Kirk.  Sometimes it pays sometimes not. Takes guts and trust to do it.  That pass to Pierre last week was gutsy too.  A total timing route.  If Garcon is not where he is supposed to be -- that could of been picked.  Kirk not afraid to throw to spots.  I think quarterbacks that don't do that will always fall as mediocre quarterbacks.   There's an anticipation you have to have to even remotely be elite.  All the best ones do.  But they also play in the same systems for years. 

 

The more these guys play together, you hope some of this gets cleaned up.   The good new is the divison is still right in front of us.    Need to hit break at 4-3. 

[Newera]

This is where we miss Djax.  He puts fear in CB's.   It will be amazing what he will do.  He will help open up the offense.   I'm also convinced we need to activate Trey Williams.  

 

He adds a dimension to our running game we just don't have.   We have two bulls that need decent blocking and momentum.  Down hill runners.  Can't make players miss.  Don't have quick burst from a stand still.  We keep trying.   I commend the committment.

 

Freeman killed us.  But got a lot of his yardage based on his skill set.  He is both quick, explosive, deceptively powerful and can make people miss.   I think Atlanta can ill afford to lose him.

 

Thompson is fast, but not  quick out of breaks.  Doesn't make people miss.  Limited burst and power.  I think the most talented back from a breaking ankles standpoint on the team is Trey Williams.

 

Imagine defenses dealing with Djax, Crowder, Reed, Trey Williams, and Pierre. 

 

Crowder, Djax and Williams in space.

 

Come on management. I liked Silas as well as a tweener but he's out.  We have two bulls and nat.   Need a tweener.  Still think Trey most gifted runner.  Po man's Sanders  LOL   Dude averaged 7 yards a carry in college.  Another Scotty Mac find.  

 

Remember in pre-season on one of his cuts he almost broke his own ankles.     Watching Freeman just got me to thinking.  

[Campbell's_da_man]

They say Grant runs good routes. He used to be sure handed, too, but I've noticed he's getting a case of the dropsies the last couple weeks. Of course, Garcon had an unusual terrible day dropping more than he caught and may have even cost us 10 points combined. He went from hero last week to goat this week.

I'd forgive Garcon's short comings this week, but in Grant's case, I'd sit him more and give Rashad Ross more opportunities. If for no other reason, he is our deep threat with DJax sitting.

[fearlessNelms]

Watching that video multiple times, it looks like Carrier #89 was the hot receiver and was were the ball was supposed to go. If you watch closely you can clearly see him hold his hands out as soon as Cousins releases the ball as if to say " what are ya doing, I was the hot read".